Kidney Cancer

[livingwith]

Four years ago I met this beast and it has controlled my life since but I am tired of it and I am gonna beat it.
I originally found out I had rcc when I had blood in my urine and went to the emergency room because it was so bad. The doctors found a 15cm mass that seemed confined to my kidney and it was removed within a few weeks along with the surrounding lymph nodes and adrenal gland.
We thought we had it beat them but other complications set in from the original surgery. A good job was done ...Read the full article

[clee1955]

Well I have survived five more months and been through lots. I had another lobectomy of my upper left lung this time and unfortunately the cancer suprised everybody and when I came out of the the lung surgery I became paralyzed on my right side and unable to communicate. My wife was wonderful and was able to convince the doctors that something else must be wrong and it was no stroke. Immediately the lung surgeron (who was also excellent (-: ) ordered tests done on the brain and sure enough two more mets were discovered. The one that was causing the motor skill and communications problems was the larger and on the top right side of my scull. They moved me to a different hospital..Baptist in Memphis and put me in the intensive care neuro wing and fortunately one of the best neuro docs in this area. He was wonderful and very frank with my wife and my daughters ....
My family and friends rallied around me and God Bless them for that....my students at school made posters for me praying for my survival and put those by my bed in the intensive care. My wife and my wonderful friend Charles (who also ministers) came to me before the surgery and prayed with me and told me to have faith in Christ........I couldn't move much nor talk but I heard it all...during the surgery a miracle happened.......Jesus actually came to me in a form or image that I will never forget and as I continue my fight against this cancer I now have that vision to go back to in this terrible struggle. He said "be at peace with yourself and all will be well" I did that and survived the surgery and went through gamma knife surgery to get the remaining tumor at the base of my skull. Since then I have been recovering slowly and amazingly today I walked a mile which would not have been possible before. Having spent lots of time in the hospital and reflecting as I recover I know the battle will still be long and difficult but God showed me something that night of the brain surgery...he showed me hope..or more importantly how to be at peace with myself. He has given me a bit more time to do the things I love to do. I enjoy being in the classroom teaching and in Jan. that is where I will be only because of God and all the prayers along with brilliant caring doctors. Had this cancer not occurred I would have never known the joy of so many good people, including my wonderful wife, who stuck by me through all of this. I would have probably never known how truly good people can be in times of need. From my two amazing cousins Laura and Bill who gave not just from their hearts but even helped us financially. These are two cousins that I have not seen in more than forty years at least. Also, my tremendous sister Cathy and her top notch husband Mike..who have visited me and been there in the hospital all those times. My daughter Anna has now matured and I would not have gotten to see her maturity had I not survived this. Also, my step daughter Nicole was just tremendous when she helped us out. My sister in law Yvonne came and stayed with me during my time of recovery and helped us out greatly. We both like to talk about politics and that stuff and she was great about keeping me posted on all that stuff....it was nice.
Friends at school were amazing..the teachers donated days to me..more than sixty of them......They gave us meals...visited us and helped us out so much. There names are so many I cannot list them all...the Killgores, Waggeners, Fosters....my neighbor Bryan from across the street came to visit me almost everyday and prayed with me. As you can see from this post I am glad to still be alive..but I am also glad and I thank God for his letting me see just how good people can be.
For all of us out here who are suffering from diseases like this one..just remember that God is real and he does look out for us if we open our hearts to him. I am living proof of this and nothing can ever take that away from me......
I know I rambled a bit here..but I just wanted to share this and if anyone ever reads this post..please keep fighting and open your heart and eyes and you will see there is so much kindness that still exist in this world.
Chris in Marion, AR